The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are delighted to announce that the 2016 competition was the tournament’s biggest yet, with over 134 million viewers tuning in globally to the biggest party in sport, representing a 44 percent increase from 2015.

Cumulative audience figures have risen steadily year on year since the tournament’s inception from 36 million viewers (in 2013), to 66 million (2014), 93 million (2015) to 134 million (2016).

Television figures from Sony SIX broadcast figures in India alone almost doubled from 44 million to 82 million, while there was also a significant rise in the United Kingdom arising from the partnership with broadcasters Dave / UK TV with audience figures growing from 548,000 (2015) to 2.5 million. The partnership with One World Sports in the USA, meanwhile, saw audience figures increase from 694,000 (2015) to 743,000.

This year the Hero CPL also broke new ground by becoming the first professional cricket league to stage matches in mainland USA and matches were viewed across more lands than ever before, with One World Sports (USA), Sony SIX (India), Dave / UKTV (UK), Sky (New Zealand), Fox Sports (Australia), EcoNet / KweseTV (sub-Saharan Africa) and OSN (Middle East) all showcasing the CPL.

Hero CPL also became the first sports league to supplement its existing broadcast deals and use the Facebook Live* platform to ensure that for the first time ever in international cricket 40 countries around the world, including the likes of Pakistan, South Africa and The Philippines could view the biggest party in sport live. There were a further 5.3 million views on this platform across all 34 matches.

With significant viewership increases across each of the key markets, a delighted Damien O’Donohoe, CEO of the Hero CPL reflected: “Today is a proud day and further evidence of the rising international stature of the Hero CPL not just in the Americas, but across the UK, India, Middle East and beyond.

“The release of these global viewership figures are a tremendous boost, not just for the game of cricket in the Caribbean, but for each of the local tourism boards and our loyal sponsors who invest so much in the development and marketing of the game.

“The profile of West Indies cricket has never been higher and 2016 was a memorable year with the Men’s senior and Under-19 sides, as well as the Women’s team, enjoying international success in the first half of the year.

“From the tournament’s inception back in 2013, we were determined to showcase the very best of what the Caribbean has to offer, both on and off the field, and we believe that the growth of the biggest party in sport in 2016 has further enhanced this reputation.

“We are immensely proud of the huge steps that the tournament has made in just four short years. Furthermore, we believe that there is even more to come in 2017 as we continue to attract the biggest names to the Caribbean and shine a spotlight on the incredible and unique culture that continues to thrive across the region.”